Michael J. Comb

President, Chief Executive Officer

“My passion is developing innovative technology to provide insight into disease mechanisms, and, while I act as CEO, I remain the company’s research director in function and in heart.”

Michael leads CST’s efforts to build the best antibody technology in the world for researchers working to understand the molecular and cellular processes of disease. He founded the company to provide the research community with tools that he himself had sought as an investigator.

Before starting CST in 1999, he directed the Molecular Neurobiology Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital and served as an Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School.

Michael holds a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Massachusetts and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Oregon. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed scientific articles and is the inventor on numerous patents and patent applications.

Roberto Polakiewicz

Chief Scientific Officer

“My job is to make sure CST continues to be an organization focused on a very high level of science and innovation.”

Roby drives research, product, and technology innovation, facilitating the creation of CST’s most valuable products, technologies, and intellectual property. Roby has driven the creation and implementation of novel antibody technology platforms that have been critical to CST’s success. He previously served as Director of Research and Vice President for research at CST.

Before joining CST in 1999, he was a staff scientist at the biotechnology company New England Biolabs.

Roby received a B.S. in chemistry and Ph.D. in molecular biology from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and he has completed postdoctoral studies at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at M.I.T. He has published approximately 65 peer-reviewed scientific articles and is a named inventor on numerous patents and patent applications.

Paul K. Aldridge

Chief Information Officer

“I want to grow and transform CST’s global digital capabilities to drive scientific delight in using antibodies to deliver new insights and transform the lives of cancer patients.”

Paul drives the strategic use of technologies at CST. He advances both local and global informatics, supporting IT applications, infrastructure, operations, security, and enterprise architecture. He also manages the approximately 50 employees that make up the IT department.

Before joining CST in 2016, Paul spent more than 20 years in senior research and IT positions. He served as Chief Information Officer for Genomic Health, as Vice President, Global IT, for Biogen Idec, and as Director of DSi for Pfizer.

He has a B.S. in chemistry from California State University, Sacramento, and a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Washington. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. He has published more than 40 peer-reviewed scientific articles and is named inventor on three patents.

Christopher Budde

Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Global Operations

“Despite the fact that we like to have fun at work, we are deadly serious about our responsibility to ensure performance of our products.”

As Chief Commercial Officer, Chris leads CST’s global sales and marketing, striving to stay attuned to the needs and desires of current and prospective customers. As head of operations, Chris is charged with building the ultimate in antibody-based products and delivering them in the shortest possible time and in pristine condition.

Before joining CST, in 2016, Chris spent more than 30 years in general management, marketing, sales and operations. He served in senior leadership positions within Thermo Fisher Scientific, Pierce Biotechnology, Roche Diagnostics, and Boehringer Mannheim.

Chris has a B.S. in microbiology from The Ohio State University.

Matthew Curran

Chief Financial Officer

“A strong financial foundation is essential to fulfilling our commitment to provide the highest quality products and services to the global scientific community. My role is to ensure that we invest responsibly, and maintain our financial strength and independence without sacrificing our core values.”

As the leader of our global finance organization, Matt oversees CST’s accounting, budgeting, forecasting, income tax, treasury and risk management functions. He has also served as CST’s Corporate Controller and Vice President of Finance.

Prior to joining CST in 2006, Matt served as Corporate Controller for Groove Networks, Inc., a software company that Microsoft Corporation acquired in 2005. He played a key role in the company’s early-stage equity financing rounds and, ultimately, the sale of the company to Microsoft Corporation. Earlier in his career, Matt was a Senior Manager with BDO USA LLP, an international accounting firm.

Matt holds a B.A. in Business Administration from St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. and is a licensed certified public accountant (CPA) in Massachusetts. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of CPA’s.

John Letcher

Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources

”We want to continue to build a fantastic culture and make this a really engaging place for our employees to work.”

John oversees all aspects of global human resources at CST to ensure the proper recruitment, development, and retention of the skills and resources necessary to drive the company's mission.

Before joining CST in 2015, John served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for the biotechnology firm PerkinElmer, Inc., as Director of Human Resources for the engineering company ABB Americas, Inc., as Vice President of Finance for General Ship Corporation, and as a Senior Auditor for Arthur Andersen.

John has a B.S. in accounting and information technology from Boston College.

Simona Levi

General Counsel, Corporate Secretary

“At CST, my job is to actively participate and contribute to the pursuit of science and real facts.”

Simona leads all CST’s legal matters across the organization, including intellectual property, technology licensing, commercial negotiations and contracting, corporate governance, and corporate and securities law. She also serves as Corporate Secretary on the Board of Directors.

Before joining CST in 2007, Simona spent more than 10 years working as legal counsel for corporate and intellectual property matters in the life sciences industry. She was a partner at the law firm McCermott Will & Emery, served as Director of Neurology for Biogen, as Senior IP Counsel for IVAX corporation, as an Associate and Junior Partner for the law firm Hale and Dorr LLP, and as a technology specialist for the law firm Dann, Dorfman, Herrell and Skimman.

Simona has a B.A. in biochemistry and economics and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Rutgers University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Simona has been a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association since 1995.

Jay Dong

Vice President, General Manager Asia Pacific

“I’m proud to have have helped CST become recognized as the “golden standard” by customers across China and the Asia Pacific region.”

Jay runs CST’s China and Asia Pacific business and organization. He leads a professional teams in marketing, sales, technical support and applications, supply chain management, customer services, logistics and warehouse management, business development, IT, human resources and administration.

Prior to joining CST, Jay was marketing and business leader with Becton Dickinson (BD) Bioscience in the United States and in Singapore. He was an R&D researcher and scientist at Tufts University School of Medicine and Millennium Pharmaceuticals, and a member of the American Association of Immunologists with publications in Journal of Immunology, Infection and Immunity, Journal of Experimental Medicine, and PNAS.

Jay earned an M.B.A. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management and an M.A. from Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and a Master’s degree from Peking Union Medical College-Tsinghua University Faculty of Medicine.

Jay has been active in serving the communities and has served on a few non-profit Boards of Directors and professional organizations: Board of the BayHelix Group, of the Sino-American Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Professionals Association in the US, and of the Shanghai American School. He received the honor title of Guest Professor from Wuhan University Medical Research Institute and is a Board member of MIT Club of Shanghai.

Nicole Droste

Vice President, General Manager Europe

“My goal is to make CST the partner of choice in life science research and translational markets by offering our customers innovative, high-quality tools, workflow solutions, and excellent customer service performed by knowledgeable and engaged staff.”

Nicole leads the European CST business development by providing business strategy and leadership, creating value to customers and business partners. In her role, she directs the European sales and technical support, marketing, customer service, human resources, finance and operations departments.

Before joining CST in 2016, Nicole spent 20 years in international sales, marketing, and management for the life sciences, medical, and pharmaceutical sectors. She served as European Sales Director for Thermo Fisher Scientific, as European Sales Manager, Pharmaceutical Systems for the global medical technology company BD, and held a variety of sales, marketing, management positions for Merck Millipore.

Nicole has an M.Sc in biology from Bielefeld University, Germany and a Certificate in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, United Kingdom.

Kazuyuki Kiyota

Vice President, General Manager Japan

“My vision for CST is to be a first-class supplier that provides high-quality products and customer service and to continue to be a trusted partner of researchers as they conduct their scientific work.”

Kaz directs sales, marketing, logistics, human resources, general administration, finance, and information technology for CST’s Japanese market. His goals are to increase efficiency, competency, and leadership, and to create a comfortable work environment for CST employees.

Before joining CST in 2015, Kaz spent 10 years in senior positions in a variety of biotechnology companies. He served as General Manager and President of Applied Biosystems Japan Ltd., General Manager and President of Life Technologies Japan Ltd., and as Business Director of BD Biosciences.

Benjamin Donald Comb

Vice President of Corporate Development

Ben oversees the Corporate Development team. The team is responsible for devising and executing CST’s inorganic growth strategy.

Ben began his career in research, studying the mechanisms underlying lung and gastric cancers. After a number of years at the bench, Ben transitioned his thinking from the drivers of cell growth to the drivers of business growth. Ben joined the Corporate Development team at CST as an Analyst and has since served in escalating management roles. Ben received his BS in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and MS in Biotechnology from the University of Queensland in Australia.

Kap Kumar

Vice President of Marketing

“Today more than ever - there is a responsibility thrust upon institutions like CST to nurture the growth of scientific research by not only creating highest quality reagents and tools but also nurturing the next generation of scientists"

Kap is focused on delivering value to our life science customers while adhering to the CST core values of helping the scientific cause. He is keenly focused on driving deeper customer engagement and loyalty through innovation in digital technology. In his role, he is the protector of the the CST brand, as a scientist himself, he believes in supporting and continuously enhancing our relationship with the customer.

Before joining CST in 2017, Kap was a Director of Global Strategic Marketing at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Danaher and held several senior positions in product strategy, market development, and R&D for a series of companies including Life Technologies, Roche, and BioHelix - a New England Biolabs company.

Kap has a B.S. in microbiology and immunology from Delhi University and a Ph.D. in biochemistry & molecular biology from Kent State University. He also completed his postdoctoral studies in protein engineering and protein-protein interactions at Harvard Medical School and received an M.B.A. in entrepreneurship and innovation management from Babson College.

Dawn Mattoon

Vice President of Product Development

“I look forward to a future in which CST expands that leadership position, partnering with scientists, working with novel technology platforms, and enabling the study of emerging disease mechanisms, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic modalities.”

Dawn creates value for the company through new product revenue contributions. She focuses on expanding CST’s product portfolio—by increasing the antibody menu and by diversifying into new product categories.

Before joining CST in 2014, Dawn held several senior positions in research, portfolio management, and strategy for a series of companies: Protometrix, Invitrogen, Life Technologies, and Thermo Fisher.

Dawn has a B.S. in biology from Bard College and a Ph.D. in genetics from Yale University. She also completed her postdoctoral studies in receptor tyrosine signaling at Yale School of Medicine. She has authored numerous publications and book chapters.

Craig M. Thompson

Vice President of Global Operations & Production

“My primary motivator at CST has been to provide CST customers with the most reliable and best-performing products along with outstanding customer support.”

Before joining CST in 2005, Craig spent nine years in venture-backed life science organizations, leading teams of scientists focused on technology development and drug discovery. He served as Senior Investigator, Group Leader, chemical genomics for ArQule, as Group Leader, cell biology for Akceli, and as Group Leader, microbiology for Scriptgen/ Anadys Pharmaceuticals.

Craig has a B.S. in molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. in molecular biology from MIT. He also completed post-doctoral studies in immunobiology at Yale University. Craig has authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific articles and patents.